OPIC has worked hard for consumers throughout the 2025 fiscal year (Sep. 2024 through Aug. 2025). Over this period, we reviewed over 1,200 insurance rate and policy form filings submitted by insurance companies to the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI). We saved Texas consumers over $13 million by limiting and postponing premium increases and by obtaining refunds. Indeed, for every $1 provided to OPIC’s budget for the purpose of representing Texas insurance consumers on rate and form issues, we saved Texans over $10. We are a small agency, but we did important things in 2025.
saved for consumers
rate and form filings reviewed
Here are some of our biggest achievements of 2025:
Increased Consumer Protections
Before each legislative session, OPIC recommends ways that the Legislature can strengthen protections for Texas insurance consumers. For the 89th Legislative Session, OPIC recommended (1) preserving the consumer’s right to appraisal and (2) adding a new requirement to re-rate policies based on updated credit information. Below is a summary of the two new laws based on OPIC’s recommendations:
- Senate Bill 458 requires home and personal auto policies to have a provision that allows consumers to request appraisal to resolve disagreements regarding the amount of their claim.
- Senate Bill 1644 requires insurers who use credit-based information to underwrite or rate insurance policies to review and update that information every three years or more frequently and adjust premiums based on the updated information. Additionally, insurers must update credit-based information and adjust premiums accordingly at renewal if requested by the insured, but not more frequently than once every twelve months.
Prevented Reductions in Coverage
OPIC has worked diligently to prevent reductions in coverage on home and auto policies. OPIC reviews hundreds of insurance policy forms every year. In FY 2025, more than 200 changes were made to protect Texas consumers based on OPIC’s policy form reviews and objections.
Objected to Inappropriate Rates
OPIC regularly objected, both formally through letters to TDI and informally through direct contact with insurance companies, to home and auto rates that were submitted to TDI where we believed consumers were not being charged appropriately. Below are some examples of results of these objections:
- One 2025 objection by OPIC resulted in the withdrawal of a proposed home insurance rate increase which would have, on average, increased each policyholder’s annual home insurance premium by over $300.
- Another 2025 objection from OPIC resulted in an auto insurance rate reduction which reduced, on average, each policyholder’s annual auto insurance premium by more than $130.
- Other objections from OPIC resulted in several companies eliminating the use of unsupported or excessive cancellation fees, late fees, and insufficient funds fees.